This collection of essays brings to life the story of the final days of the American War of Independence, culminating in the Battle of Yorktown. The authors detail and describe people, places, and circumstances significant to the war that both founded a nation and formed its character. Men and women, brave or treacherous, brash or petty, add to the human side of these remarkable events that led to the victory at Yorktown. Chapters include essays on Washington, Lafayette, Cornwallis, De Grasse, Benedict Arnold, Jack Jouette, John Paul Jones, Baron von Steuben, and others.